Filing system



31111619, 192&

J. T. QUlGLEY FILING SYSTEM Filed March 29, 1926 June 19,1928 i 1,674,222

J. T. QUIGLEY FILING SYSTEM Filed March 29, 1 26 s sheets-sheet 2 Ig o 3 0 K' Inve nor.

L15/IIL ley.

Patented June 19, 1928.

JOI-VIN T. QUIGLEY, OF` LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FILING SYSTEM.

Application sied Marcil 29, 192e. Serin no. 98,1156.

rlhis invention relates to a vertical filing system and equipment and has improvements in the identication means applied to the vertical sheets or folders used vfor separating or receiving letters andother documents in vertical form. v i

The chief objects of the invention are to shorteny the time required to find a specified document in a vertical file, to simplify avertical file, and reducethe expense necessary in` making the same. l y

One feature of the invention consists in providing for a vertical filing system havingA a receptacle, vertically ydisposed card-like sheets or folders therefor, all similarly formed and each having an indentation in the top thereof near one end and a remov-V able label folded down over the ytop near the other end thereof, with indicia on both the front and the back of the label adjacent the top thereof, the indicia beingduplicated in reverse order on the front and the back of the label, whereby said sheets or folders may be filed in 'two positions, one position having the indentations in the sheets near one side of the receptacle and vin the other position the sheets beingreversed with the indentations near the other side of the receptacle. This enables the sheets to be reversed and the indicia to be read from the frontand also from the rear and the indicia will be visible through the indentations of the `sheet or sheets in front of it,;wl1ether viewed from the front or rear.y v

Another feature of the invention consists in providing `a label, preferably with four equilateral sides, and creased diagonally 'and centrally, folded over the top of the sheet and the two opposite ends or tips thereof in# serted in opposite directions through aslit in the sheet or folder below the top of the sheet in a manner which securely-holds t-he label in place, so the label does not project above the top of the sheet `or folder, but lies snugly thereon.

lIn carrying out the invention I preferably employ folders with the rear leaf of each folder extending above the front leaf and the top of the rear leaf has an indentation near one end in the top ofthe leaf andthe index marking is located on both sides and in reverse position and this index Vmarking is preferably on -a label folded over the top of the higher leaf of the folder with its ends inserted through a slit in suchgleaf of the folder...v w f i l i' The `full nature, of lthis invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the description and claims.

In thegdrawings: f l' i Figure lisa front perspectiveview ofj'a file drawer filled with folders lmade land lafl beled according to this invention, the same being centrally broken away to .reduce the size of the ligure; Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of'` what is shown in Fig. 1;`-Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a folder in open position; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the square form of label before it is folded or mounted and with indicia printed thereon;Fig. 5 is a plan View of a rhombusfform of such label, modifications thereofr being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the label shownin Fig. lafter ithas been folded but ispartl'y in open position; Fi-g. 7 is a central vertical Vsection through the upper part of a sheet or folderand alabel showing the lposition of the label afterthe first stepfin the 'process in mounting .it on the sheet or folder; Fig. 8 is thefsam'e as Fig. =7 showing the condition of the labelafter the second step in the process) of mounting; Fig. 9` is` thesame las Fig. 18 showing the position of the labell `after the third'step 1n mounting; Fig. 10 is `thesame as Fig. 9 with the labelvin position afterit is fully mounted;F ig. 11 is a rear elevation of a sheet or folder in finished form .ready to file; F ig. l2vis a view 'of the front side 4of the folder shown in Fig. 11; and Fig. 3.3

kis a front elevation of two labeled foldersk assembled .as they would be in the filingv drawer, the rear folder having its-ends reversed as compared with the front folder.y

The invention as shown in the 'drawings herein for the purpose ofr illustrating the general nature thereof discloses a vertical file containing folders, :but some features iof the invention are not necessarilylimited to:

folders as sheets or lcards may be used.i-n-

stead of folders, but the preferable form of p the invention is as .herein shown.

As appears in Figs.` 1 `and 2 there is a drawer or receptacle having a front l0,isicles l1, and rear 12. In this receptacle or drawer thereis a series of vertically disposed folders 13, formed and filed or arranged as herein after explained.

" tion of the file.`

The folder 13 is a simple and convenient vertical filing device consisting of a single sheet having a transverse fold to providev two vertical leaves 131 and 132 of unequal height. The leaf 132 is usually about onehalf inch higher than` the leaf 131, as seen in Figs. 3 and 12. Folders in vertical files are assembled in a drawer with their folds resting on the bottom of the drawer and their top edges extending above the sides ofthe drawer and forming the visible por- The foregoing arrangement is old in the art of-vertical filingl and the novel features of the invention will now be explained.

The folder 13 is preferably what is called square cut, having the back leaf 132 higher than the' front leaf 131, as indicated in-Fig. 11; AIn the top of the high leaf ofthe folder'there is an indentation 14 cut out as long as the indices may require, say two or threeinches, and near one end of the folder Vto one side of the middlethereof.- kThe depth of the indentation isr suiiicient to ,eirpose toview the inscription placed `on a folder to the rear.

'-In the other end of the folder,` a short distance from the topedge of the'high leaf there is va ,substantiallyl horizontal slit 15 which may be an inch or more long, and over the `top ofysuchend of the high leaf of the folder a label; 16 is folded and secured in said slit for receiving indices. This vslit preferably is made by an incision in the material of the folder which removes no stock but leaves the edges in contact.l The result ing friction of the abutting edges serves to Vlo'ck'and hold the material of the inserted labelv in `place.` 'As heretofore explained,

saidindices and label should be substantially the samek distance from one end of the' folder Iasvthe indentation is from' theother end in order'that when the folders are placed in reversepos'ition, one behind the other, the

labeland index shall appear through and behind the indentation' of a ypreceding folder.

The label '16 may be of any thin and flexif` ble sheet material and maybe in any de-y sired shape, but preferably with equilateral sides, so that it has oppositelv located ends,

tips or corners 17 vto be'inserted through the slit '15. The preferable form is that shown narrowing of the label,'where small folders are used, while maintaining a uniform length, so the distancev of thev slits from the top edges of the folders may be always the should be written` typewritten or printed same, and it also permits labels of all widths p to be cut from the same sheets and with the .same tools as are used for square labels.

` Before the label 16 is mounted on the folder the desired inscriptions or indicia 2O are printed thereon as shown in Fig. fl. The fold or score 18 of the label serves as a guide for. the proper location of the. inscriptions orindicia. The 'first line of the inscription on the label immediately beneath andl close tov the fold, or top of the label when folded. It is easy to typewrite the inscription by placing the label unfolded in the typewriter and' aligning it with reference to the `fold line forl in that condition the writing is done up'on the central portion ofthe label -instead of near the edge thereof. Hence these labels can be rapidly indexed on the 'typewriter. .Each inscription or index `is duplicated by writing it on both sides of thelabel immediately beneath the fold line and in reverse order, as shown in Fig.`4;. Two or three -lines of indicia may be written upon each side of the'label, for there is ample space for them. The labels are largeenough for the inscriptions to bel manuallyv written also..v

Afterthe label has been cut, folded'and the inscriptions placed thereon, it is mounted on the folder as follows, and as illus-v trated in Figs. 7 to 10: Either ofthe points ortips 17 of the label is inserted through the slit 15 and it is innnaterial which tipi is first inserted or at which side of the folder; then the label isv placed on the top the? folder, as shown in Fig. 7, withthe inside of the fold or score line 18 resting on the top edge of the folder.y lThe `corner ory tip of the label then is drawnthrough the slit as far as the label will permit, as seen inV Fig. 7. The'second step of the mounting consists in bending said tip or corner of the label upwardly as shown in Fig. 8. Then the other corner vor tip of the label is inserted through the slit from the' opposite side, as shown in Fig, 9, and drawn tightly` and finally said last-mentionedcorner or tip is turned inwardlyl Vagainst the label `as .shown in Figs. 11 and 12. f

This completes the operation of making and mounting the label and it is to be noted that said label fits snugly down on the top edge of lthe folder and'does not project upwardly therefrom, excepting yfor the thickv ness of the paper or material forming the label, although'the invention is not necessarily limited to a labelthat Idoes not'extend upward somewhat; and manipulation of the folder in the use of the file will not dislodge the label. The label may bel re-y moved quickly without tearing it, by first, bending back the last inserted projecting, corner or tip and inserting a thin blade, like 'a paper knife, between thelabel' andy lim Ierse-22 folder' fon. the opposite side of the label therewithv removing the label.

Labels of this character attached *in the manner specified offer no appreciable ob-y sheets by theoperator. 'Ihey can be quickly replaced or changed from one folder to another, whereby one folder may be used for a succession of indicia or labels until it is worn out. y

While the labels have been herein referred to as being made of paper, they may be made of other' material such as thin sheet Celluloid, and such Celluloid labels be attached and removed in the manner above specified. In the case of cellulo-id labels the inscriptions may be upon a slip of paper of suitable dimensions inserted under the Celluloid which is held in place by the celluloidlabel acting as a sheath. Also the labels may be of differently colored material and thus provide a graphic signal system in the file without extra expense, and the letters in the printed inscriptions or indicia may be of distinctive colors in order to facilitate identifications and classilication.

The preferable manner of using this invention is as follows: In a file drawer folders labeled in the manner hereinbefore described are alphabetically arranged with the labels all in position on the right side of the file drawer and the cut-outs consequently all on the left side. Then every fourth folder is taken out of the drawer and the position of its flap is reversed by folding it back upon the other side, the folder turned end for end, and reinserted in its place in the file. This operation results in providing each group of three folders with their labels in the position on the right with a guide on the left in its proper alphabetical order, the .guide being visible from either end of the drawer by reason of the open space afforded by the three cut-outs on each side of it.

In the use of this file the proper alphabetical classification is preferably maintained regardless of the proportion of folders which are turned end for end. When folders are removed from or added to the file, thus altering the space between the visible labels, any of the folders can be turned to make their labels visible or folders on the visible side can be turned back to the other side. Either side of the file drawer can be used for the visible index, or a part of both sides may be so arranged; or by turning alternate folders end for end, when their contents are of suflicient bulk, the labels on both sides may be made visible. Upon the removal from the file of a folder which serves as a guide, the next folder may be instantly turned, supplying a newguide in proper alphabetical order.

The operation fof finding inthis file is simple and rapid. Asthe drawer is-pulledoutv the operativeis eyemoves down the straight line of visible-names.. The first glance looates either -thedesir-ed name among the visible guides yor theguide giving the alpha-- lbetical.combination ofthe first letters o-f that name. inthe latter case the fingers are kemployedto further spreaclapart the vlabels of e: l

the little group of three or four which im-` mediately follows the visible re uires only a very few secon s.

i s noted in Figs. l and 2 the inscriptions on the folders can be read from the front or the rear of the series as `desired without changing them, becauseeach card has the inscription duplicated and in reverse order. It is also to be noted that the cards can be readily interchanged, reversed, removed and replaced and the labels changed according to ythe requirements of the filing.

From the foregoing it appears that t-he folders herein are relatively inexpensive and also the labels, and the inscriptions may be rapidly written on the labels kand the labels quickly attached to the folders. There is no `danger of the label becoming shifted or detached during manipulation of the file and yet the label can instantly be detached when desired and another label replaced, whereby the use of the folder may be continuous. The labels cause no appreciable increase in the bulk of the file and in cooperation with the cut-outs provided, a large percentage of visibility may be maintained, as shown in Figs. l and 2. without the employment of any additional equipment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A card-like sheet for vertical filing with an indentation in the top of the'sheet near one end thereof, a label folded down over the top of the sheet near the other end thereof, and indicia duplicated on the front and rear sides of said' label.

2. A folder for vertical filing with one leaf thereof higher than the other leaf and with an indentation in its top ofthe higher leaf near one end thereof, and indicia duplicated reversely on the front and rear sides of the higher leaf n-ear the top and near the other end thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. A folder lfor vertical filing with one leaf thereof higher than the other leaf and with an indentation in the top of the higher leaf near one end thereof, a label folded over the top of the folder near the other end thereof and removably secured thereto, and indicia duplicated reversely yon the sides of the label, substantially as set forth.

4. Ak card-like sheet for vertical filing with a substantially horizontal slit therein near the top, and a label folded cent-rally uide which down over the top above said slit with the 7. A ycard-like sheet for vertical ling ends thereof inserted through the slit for with a substantially horizontal slit therein holding vthe label in place. Y near the top, anda label centrally and trans- 5. A card-like sheet as set forth in claim 4, Versely scored and folded at the score line 15 5 with said slit and label located near one upon thetopof said sheet above the slit end of the sheet, and an indentation in the with the opposite ends thereof `inserted top near the other end thereof through the slit for holding the label in 6. 'A card-like sheet as set forth in claim place. 'f 4, with indicia duplicated in reverse order In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 20 10 on thevsides ofthe label, substantially as aflixed my signature. l set forth. n f 4 JOHN T. QUIGLEY. 

